World Records - snooker.org Awards | Odd Stuff | World Records | Managers Snooker World Records Here are the (unofficial) snooker world records that I have collected. If you notice any errors or know of any other records, please let me know. World Championships Most Titles The World Professional Championship (instituted 1927) was won a record 15 times by Joe Davis, on the first 15 occasions it was contested 1927-40 and 1946. The most wins in the Amateur Championships (instituted 1963) have been two by; Gary Owen in 1963 and 1966; Ray Edmonds 1972 and 1974; and Paul Mifsud (Malta) 1985-86. Allison Fisher (b. 24 Feb 1968) has won seven Women's World Championships, 1985-86, 1988-89, 1991, 1993-94.

Maureen Baynton (née Barrett) won a record eight Women's Amateur Championships between 1954 and 1968, as well as seven at billiards. Youngest The youngest man to win a world title is Michael White (Wales) (b. 5 Aug 1991) who was 14 yr 210 days when he won the World Amateur Snooker Championships in Prestatyn, Wales on 3 Mar 2006. Stephen Hendry (Scotland) (b. 13 Jan 1969) became the youngest World Professional Champion, at 21 yr 106 days on 29 Apr 1990. Stacey Hillyard (b. 5 Sep 1969) won the Women's World Amateur Championship in October 1984 at the age of 15. Highest Breaks Maximum Breaks The first to achieve the maximum break of 147 was E.J. Murt O'Donoghue (New Zealand) (1901-94) at Griffiths, New South Wales, Australia on 26 Sep 1934.

The first officially ratified 147 was by Joe Davis against Willie Smith at Leicester Square Hall, London on 22 Jan 1955. The first achieved in a major tournament were by John Spencer (b. 18 Sep 1935) at Slough, Berks on 13 Jan 1979, but the table had oversized pockets, and by Steve Davis (b. 22 Aug 1957) who had a ratified break of 147 against John Spencer in the Lada Classic at Oldham, Greater Manchester on 11 Jan 1982. This was also the first televised maximum. The youngest to score a competitive maximum was Judd Trump (b. Aug 1989) at 14 yr 206 days days in an under-16 series match against Chris Piech at the Potters Club in Coalville on 13 Mar 2004. Ronnie O'Sullivan (b.

5 Dec 1975) made a maximum at 15 yr 98 days during the English Amateur Championship (Southern Area) at Aldershot, Hants on 13 Mar 1991. Cliff Thorburn (Canada) (b. 16 Jan 1948) was first to make two tournament 147 breaks on 23 Apr 1983 (the first in the World Professional Championships) and 8 Mar 1989. Peter Ebdon (b. 27 Aug 1979) and James Wattana (Thailand) (b. 17 Jan 1970) have also achieved this feat. Ronnie O'Sullivan have the most maximums in the professional game with 13 ahead of Stephen Hendry who has 11. O'Sullivan's latest came at the 2014 Coral UK Championship , in the last frame of the last-16 match against Matthew Selt (England). Stephen Hendry became the first to make more than two tournament 147s. Hendry's first was made in the European League and his second in the 1995 World Championship .

The record-breaking third came on 25 Nov 1995 in the UK Championship . Not content with this he made his fourth maximum on 5 Jan 1997 in the 1997 Liverpool Victoria Charity Challenge and his fifth on 23 May 1998 in the 1998 Dr Martens Premier League , his sixth on 19 Sep 1999 in the final of the 1999 British Open (the first maximum in a ranking final), his seventh on (21-23) November in 1999 in the 1999 Liverpool Victoria UK Championship , his eighth on 25 Feb 2001 in the final of the 2001 Rothmans Grand Prix, his ninth on 28 Apr 2009 in the quarterfinals of the 2009 Betfred.com World Championship , his 10th in the second round of the 2011 Wyldecrest Park Homes Welsh Open and his 11th in the first round of the 2012 Betfred.com World Championship !

Leo Levitt was the first amateur to achieve the maximum break, in november 1948 at the Windsor Bowling alley in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Geet Sethi (India) was the first one to manage one in competition, in the Indian Amateur Championships on 21 Feb 1988. In the World Junior Championship in Iceland (June 1989) Gary Hill made a maximum break at the age of 20 years 8 months and became the youngest player to achieve this in a WPBSA recognised competion. In April 2002 the New Zealand No2, amateur Harry Haenga, father of national champion Daniel Haenga, scored a 147 off the break against Glenn Gemmel at the Porirua Club, near Wellington, New Zealand. This was not in a tournament but was witnesses by two A Grade players, one of whom is a NZ representative and the other is a Referee. Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jimmy White made 147s in consecutive frames during an exhibition in Ireland, in January 2009. Peter Ebdon made 147s in two consecutive frames during an exhibition match against Steve Davis in 2003.

16 Red Ball Clearances In Competition The highest snooker break in competition is Wally West's 151. He made the break in the final of a club handicap at the Hounslow Lucania Club in 1976 against Derek "Butch" Rogers, in front of about 100 spectators. The qualified referee John Posner was in charge of the match. Wally won the first frame with the aid of a 104. In the second, Butch clipped the blue and left Wally snookered. Wally potted green as his free ball with a brown to follow. He then took 14 red and blacks and a pink off the last red. He then cleared up to make the 151. Jamie Burnett (Scotland) made a break of 148 on 16 October 2004, at the Prestatyn qualifiers for the Travis Perkins UK Championship. This was the first break over 147 in professional snooker. Burnett made the break in the 14th frame of his match against Leo Fernandez.

He potted the brown as the extra red, then another brown followed by the 15 reds and all the colours. He made a blue on the first red, a pink on the last one and another pink on one of the other reds. The rest went with blacks. He went on to win the match 9-8. The first 16 red clearance in a tournament was by Steve James (b. 2 May 1961) who made 135 against Alex Higgins in the World Professional Championships at Sheffield, S Yorks on 14 Apr 1990. Steve Duggan (b. 10 Apr 1958) made a witnessed break of 148 against Mark Rowing in a local handicap tournament at in the Woodlands Snooker Club, Woodlands, Doncaster, S Yorks on 27 Apr 1988. The Guinness Book of Records got it wrong at the time, saying it was in a practise match. Phil Doody was the referee in the aforementioned match. The week before the match Rowing, made a 155 break against Doody, in a practise frame, on the same table, in the same club!

Unfortunately, as only Rowing and Doody were present, the Guinness Book of Records, wouldn't record it. Dean Reynolds (England) had a 16 red clearance of 143 in the seniors event of the 2006 European Team championships, in Carlow, Ireland. 6 December 2008 Ricky Walden (England) made a 16 red clearance of 141 against Mark Davis (England) in the last qualifying round for the 2008 Maplin UK Championship. The event was held at The World Snooker Academy in EIS (English Institute of Sport) Sheffield. He won the frame 149-0. It was the thirteenth frame of the best-of-17 match, which he lost 7-9. Others In 2006 Jamie Cope became the first player to record a 155 break. He did it in a witnessed practice match. Jamie is a professional snooker player from Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire, England.

On 23 April 2003 Cope had made a 151 break on the match table at The Reardon Snooker Club (Hanley Stoke-on-Trent) during a practise game with David Fomm-Ward. After a foul shot by his opponent Jamie was snookered behind the Brown ball. He took the Brown as the free ball and then potted Blue, 8 Red and 8 Black, 2 Red and 2 Pink, 5 Red and 5 Black. Then cleared all the colours. He was 17 years old at the time. Teenager Sam Harvey scored a break of 151 during a practice match at his home club in Bedford in November 2010. The 17-year-old was playing tour professional Kyren Wilson when he registered the score. After a foul from his opponent early in the frame, Harvey was left with a free ball, and potted the brown to a centre pocket, gaining position on the black. He then spilt the reds open and went on to pot all 15, taking 12 more blacks, two pinks and a blue before clearing the colours.

In 1995 Tony Drago's (Malta) (b. 22 Sep 1965) made a 149 in a practice match against Nick Manning at the West Norwood Snooker Club. Drago broke off and snookered Manning behind the brown. Manning tried to escape from the snooker but left a free ball. Drago took the brown as the free ball and then the brown again for four more points and followed that with 15 reds, 13 blacks, a pink and a blue and all the colours. Eddie Manning (Leicester, England) also achieved a 149, in 1997 at Willie Thorne's in Leicester. His practice partner was Kam (or Kan?) Pandya. Manning. Like Drago he took brown, brown, 13 blacks, pink and blue. Stephen Hendry made a 148 in practice vs Alfie Burden in 1993. In 1976 Alex Higgins knocked in a 146 vs Willie Thorne in a Challenge Match. He had brown, green, 10 blacks and 5 pinks.

Cliff Thorburn managed a 139 in practice against Geoff Foulds in 1980. Other High Breaks and Most Unanswered Points Kelly Fisher is the leader among the women. She has a 143 in competition and 20+ 147's in practice. Four consecutive century breaks were first compiled in a major tournament by John Higgins : 103, 104, 138 and 128, in Preston, England on Sun 16th October 2005. He achieved the feat in the final of the 2005 Grand Prix , against Ronnie O'Sullivan . Shaun Murphy (England) equalled the feat in the 2007 Welsh Open , Feb 14 2007, in Newport Centre, Wales. He beat Jamie Cope 5-0 in the second round and won the first four frames with 135, 110, 102 and 101.

Three consecutive century breaks were first compiled in a ranking tournament by Steve Davis : 108, 101 and 104 at Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs on 10 Sep 1988. In 1998 John Higgins (Scotland) (b. 18th May 1975) became the first to manage the feat in a World Championship match. Peter Ebdon became the first to make four century breaks in five frames, in the European Open qualifying competition at Blackpool on 6 Sep 1992. Stephen Hendry made seven centuries in the final of the 1994 UK Championship , which is a record in a professional match. He also became the first player ever to make five centuries in seven frames. In the 2004 British Open Stephen Maguire (Scotland) made five consecutive centuries over two matches. He finished his quarter-final match against Anthony Hamilton with three centuries and started his semi-final against Ronnie O'Sullivan with two more. Mark Allen (N.Ireland) has also made five consecutive century breaks, at the Larne Masters, in the Fountain Club in Larne, Northern Ireland, 23 January 2005.

Allen finished off his second round match against Stephen Smith with a 117, before rattling in breaks of 134, 120 and 104 to beat Declan Hughes 3-0. He then began his quarter-final match against Robert McCullough with a 116. Just for good measure, Mark had begun his match against Smith with a 111 break, making it a phenomenal six centuries in seven frames. In the 2007 Northern Ireland Trophy Ronnie O'Sullivan made five centuries - the first time that has ever been achieved in a ranking event best-of-nine match. The third-round match, which he won 5-2, was played 8 November against Allister Carter (England). Ronnie warmed up with 108, 122 and 107 intaking a 3-1 lead before a 147. Carter pulled one frame back then O'Sullivan closed with a 129 total clearance. John Higgins won the 2005 Grand Prix in Preston and rewrote the record books in the process.

In his final demolition of Ronnie O'Sullivan (9-2) he knocked in four consecutive century breaks (103, 104, 138 and 128), a feat never to have been accomplished in professional ranking tournaments. Higgins also broke the "points unanswered" record in a ranking event (previously set by Stephen Hendry , 487 in the 1996 Wembley Masters against Jimmy White ). Higgins scored 494 points without a reply from O'Sullivan. This record was later beaten by Stuart Bingham (England) who made 547 against Sam Baird in the 2016 China Open . Ronnie O'Sullivan has the all-time record with 556 points in the 2014 Masters final . Ciaran Brown meets snooker player Jimmy White ITV.com - I'm a Celebrity (Series 9) James Warren 'Jimmy' White was born in Tooting, London, in 1962.

He never achieved academic success because he often played truant from his school, the Ernest Bevin Comprehensive in Earlsfield, South London, preferring to spend his time at Ted Zanicelli's snooker hall. Although illiterate,, Jimmy White signing my photograph illiterate, White's talent for the game led to a successful amateur career, winning the the English Amateur Championship in 1979, and in 1980 became the youngest-ever winner the World Amateur Snooker Championship when he was only 18. White established himself as a top professional in 1981, and for the past thirty years, has played consistently at the highest level. Jimmy White White - the young professional White & Steve Davis before the 1984 final The World Championship title has, however, eluded him although he has reached the final at Sheffield's legendary Crucible Theatre on no less than six occasions! The first of these losses was was in 1984, when he was defeated by the reigning World Champion Steve Davis. White was then a finalist in each of the five consecutive years from 1990 to 1994.

In these finals he was beaten four times by Stephen Hendry and once by John Parrott. As Jimmy White said in 2008, "People say that I'm the best playe Jimmy White at the table player never to have won the world championship but I've won 10 ranking tournaments and 27 invitational tournaments". Jimmy White wins the Sangsom 6-Red World Grand Prix trophy in Bangkok in 2009 Jimmy White White after his World Championship 147 maximum break in 1992 Nicknamed 'The Whirlwind', White is one of only six players to have completed a 147 maxim maximum break at the World Snooker Championships - he did this against Tony Drago in 1992. He is left-handed, and has compiled more than 255 competitive century breaks during his career. In his heyday, as well as being a brilliant snooker player, White was also a hardened drinker and gambler. He reckons that he has blown at least ï¿½1 million gambling and around ï¿½500,000 on drink during his professional career..

Jimmy White Jimmy White is also a top pool player Jimmy White at the table Although best known for his snooker, Jimmy White is also a top pool player. Along with Steve Davis and Alex Higgins, White was a member of Europe's victorious Mosconi Cup team of 1995. Click here for Jimmy's career highlights. In the late 1990s, White White's bull terrier, Splinter, was stolen, held for ransom and became the first dog to have a colour poster on the front page of The Times! Splinter was returned after White paid out to get him back. Jimmy White had a cameo film role as himself in Legend of the Dragon (1990) and in the film Jack Said (2009) he played the part of Vic Lee, a dodgy snooker club owner. Jimmy White as Vic Lee in the film Jack Said In November 2009, White appeared in the 9th series of ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! He finished in third with the chef Gino D'Acampo winning.

White has also endorsed four computer games including Jimmy Wh Lucy Benjamin & Jimmy White in Australia for I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! Jimmy White in I'm a Celebrity.... White is also a good poker player, winning the second Poker Million tournament in 2003. He is a keen supporter of Chelsea Football Club. White's Whirlwind Snooker, and Jimmy White's Cueball World. White is the Poker Million winner in 2003 Two books about Jimmy White have been written. His autobiography Behind the White Ball (mostly writt ghost written by Rosemary Kingsland) was published in 1999, and Whirlwind, an unoff unofficial biography written by a die-hard fan Aubrey Malone, appeared in 2009. In August 2010, White was one of the pallbearers at the funeral of Alex Higgins. The two, who were both addicted to drink and gambling, had been friends during their playing days. Alex Higgins & Jimmy White White carries Higgins' coffin Jimmy White, married his wife Maureen in 1980 (they are now divorced), and they had five children, Lauren, Ashleigh, Georgia, Breeze and Tommy.

In 1999, Jimmy White was awarded the MBE for services to snooker. Jimmy White MBE Jimmy White has signed this photo to me VIDEO best snooker world championship finals Ten Great Crucible Finals Friday 15 Apr 2016 07:02PM With the world’s greatest players descending on Sheffield for the Betfred World Snooker Championship, we take a look back at ten of the all-time great Crucible finals! 1977 saw the World Championship held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield for the very first time – a venue which would go on to establish itself at the very heart of snooker for the next 39 years. John Spencer became the first ever player to lift the trophy in the legendary arena after beating Cliff Thorburn 25-21 in the final, claiming his third world title and the £6,000 winner’s cheque.

1977 was the World Championship since the world ranking system was introduced Spencer became the first player to win a world title with a two-piece cue John Virgo, Willie Thorne Patsy Fagan and Doug Mountjoy made their World Championship debut that year Steve Davis won his first of six world titles in 1981, taking home the silverware in Sheffield on his third attempt. Having already claimed the scalps of Jimmy White, Alex Higgins, Terry Griffiths and defending champion Cliff Thorburn in the earlier rounds, Davis went on to beat Doug Mountjoy 18-12 in the final to become champion of the world. There were 13 century breaks in the tournament, equalling the all-time record set at in 1979 Mountjoy made a 145 break to set a new World Championship high break record, beating the 142 of Rex Williams in 1965 and Bill Werbeniuk in 1979.

Making their world championship debuts were Jimmy White, Tony Knowles and Dave Martin Ten years on from his first World Championship title, Alex Higgins made an emotional return to the top after beating Ray Reardon 18-15 in a spectacular 1982 final. At 15-15 in the final session, Higgins went on to win the next three frames, sealing the victory with a 135 break to claim his second world title. A tearful Higgins then summoned his wife and baby daughter from the crowd after the victory. The previous three world champions – also the top three seeds – were all defeated in the opening round: defending champion Steve Davis, 1979 champion Terry Griffiths and 1980 champion Cliff Thorburn Jim Donnelly became the first Scottish player to play at the Crucible We couldn’t possibly leave this out, could we? Finals don’t come better than this – Dennis Taylor won his only World Championship in 1985 after beating Steve Davis 18-17 on the last black in a final that would become one of the most famous sporting moments in history.

Davis led 62–44 in the decider, with only the last four colours on the table… We’ll let the video tell the rest! The final attracted 18.5 million viewers on the BBC, finishing at 12:25am The 35th and final frame lasted 68 minutes Stephen Hendry became the youngest player ever to win a World Championship in 1990, winning the first of seven titles at at the Crucible at just 21 years and 106 days. Hendry beat Jimmy White in the final, with the Scotsman holding just a two frame lead after the first day’s play at 9-7 up. Hendry then pulled away into a 13-7 lead, with White closing the gap to within four frames during the final session. At 16-12 up, Hendry then sunk 81 and a final 71 to seal his maiden world title and make his mark in the history books. Another notable World Championship triumph for Stephen Hendry came in 1994 when he won his fourth world title, beating Jimmy White 18-17 in the deciding frame.

This was White’s fifth consecutive world championship final – his fourth against Hendry – and he had first chance in the decider only to miss the black off the spot. Hendry then cleared to take home his fourth world title in five years. Losing 14–16 to Jimmy White in the semis, Steve Davis Davis failed to reach the final for the first time since 1982 After losing in the opening round, Alex Higgins punched an official in the stomach at the post-match press conference. This, along with a threat to have Dennis Taylor shot at the 1980 World Cup, led to Higgins being banned for the 90/91 season. It was John Higgins’ time to shine in 1998 as he won his first of four World Championship titles, beating the then-defending champion Ken Doherty in the final 18-12. In doing so, Stephen Hendry’s eight-year reign as world number one was ended, Higgins rising to the top after a first round exit for his fellow Scotsman.

1998 saw Hendry lose in the first round for the first time since his Crucible debut in 1986 Ken Doherty came closer than any other player bar Joe Johnson to breaking the ‘Crucible Curse’ 2001 was the year that Ronnie O’Sullivan won the first of five world titles in Sheffield, overcoming John Higgins 18-14 in a spectacular final to take home the £250,000 top prize. Having already won the UK Championship twice and the Masters, O’Sullivan completed the Triple Crown. Both Steve Davis and Jimmy White failed to qualify for World Championship for the first time in their careers since 1979 and 1981 respectively Widely regarded as one of the greatest World Championship finals in recent history, 2013 saw Ronnie O’Sullivan beat Barry Hawkins 18-12 in the final to clinch his fifth world title. Despite having only played a single competitive match all season, O’Sullivan did not lose a session throughout the World Championship. The victory also meant O’Sullivan joined Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry as the only players to successfully defend their titles at the Crucible.

O’Sullivan became the first player to make six centuries in a World Championship final O’Sullivan’s 103 break in frame 15 was his 128th century at the Crucible, breaking Stephen Hendry’s record of 127 Last year’s Betfred World Championship undoubtedly goes down as one of the most exciting in recent years. Stuart Bingham – a 50-1 outsider at the start of the tournament – rattled through a tough field including Graeme Dott, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump and eventually Shaun Murphy to win his first world title in his 20-year career as a professional. The tournament itself set a new record for the most century breaks at the Crucible – 86 beating the record set in 2009 of 83. The final was a strong reflection of this high standard, with six century breaks and 24 more over 50 in 33 frames. In the opening session Murphy led 3-0, only for Bingham to fight back at 4-4.

In the second, Murphy pulled away to move 8-4 up, but again Bingham came back to win four of the next five frames and reduce his lead to 9-8 overnight. In the third session, Bingham led by 14-11 only for Murphy to level at 15-15 into the concluding session. Bingham eventually added three frames to seal the victory, making him the oldest player to win the world title since Ray Reardon in 1978, and take him to a career-high second in the world rankings. Related News Metrics Leap For World Snooker Social Media 30 Dec 2016 Welcome to fcsnooker - Snooker Coaching General Interest - Hints and Tips - Did you Know? fcsnooker - Top Quality Snooker Coaching and Instruction in association with Mr Frank Callan - General Interest - "Did You Know" Ronnie O'Sullivan turned professional as world under 21 snooker champion and won 70 of his first 72 professional matches.

Alex Higgins was the first player to take 15 reds with 15 blacks in the World Snooker Championships, although the 147 clearance eluded him. At 16 years and 11 months, Jimmy White became the youngest ever World Amateur Snooker champion in 1979. The 69 clearance from Alex Higgins against Jimmy White in the 1982 world championship semi-finals is widely regarded as the greatest match saving clearance of all time. In the 1982 World Championships, defending champion Steve Davis was beaten 10 - 1 in the first round by Tony Knowles. Joe Davis made the game's first official maximum beak in 1955. Steve Davis made the first televised 147 break at the Lada Classic in 1982. In 1983 - 84, Alex Higgins defeated Steve Davis 16 - 15 at the Coral UK, after trailing 7 - 0. Due to a medical condition, Bill Werbenuik used to drink a pint a frame during matches and sometimes up 40 pints of lager a day.

Ronnie O'Sullivan made a record 30 centuries in his rookie season. Ray Reardon won his sixth and last world title in 1975. Stephen Hendry won the 1987 Rothmans Grand Prix aged 18, becoming the youngest ever winner of a World ranking title. Cliff Thorburn made the first 147 break in the history of the World Championships. In 1983 - 84 Steve Davis won his third world title in four years, becoming the first champion to make a successful title defence. A 3 minute frame between Tony Drago and Danny Fowler is the fastest recorded in a world ranking tournament. Joe Davis was beaten only four times on level terms throughout the duration of his career. A minutes silence was held at the Crucible on the middle Saturday of the 1989 World Championships, in remembrance of the Hillsborough disaster. John Spencer beat Cliff Thorburn in 1977 to become the Crucibles first world champion. He was the first player to win the title with a two piece cue.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is the youngest player to record a 147 maximum break in recognised amateur competition, aged 15 years and 97 days. In 1992, Alison Fisher recorded the highest break by a woman in professional competition with a 133 against Joe Swail in the Dubai Classic. At 6 hours and 25 minutes, the final session of Thorburn v Griffiths in 1983 is a record. The match finished at 3.51am! In the 1993 season Ronnie O'Sullivan became the youngest player ever to qualify for the World Championships. Murt O'Donoghue was the first player to make a witnessed 147 break in 1934. Dennis Taylor won his first major title - the 1984 Rothman's Grand Prix three weeks after his mother passed away. The final of the 1985 Dulux British Open between Kirk Stevens and Silvino Francisco was the first major final contested by non-british players. In 1993 James Wattana became the first Thai player to reach the World Championship semi-finals.

In 1927 Joe Davis picked up ï¿½6.10s for winning the World Snooker Championship. There were 542 entries for the World Championships in 1993, compared to just 2 who entered the 1931 tournament. John Spencer completed the first 147 break in professional competition versus Cliff Thorburn at the Holstein Classic in 1979. In season 1992 - 93, Doug Mountjoy won a match at the Crucible whilst requiring surgery for a malignant tumour. Ken Doherty in 1997 and Cliff Thorburn in 1980 remain the only Non-British World Snooker Champions. The final of the 1985 World Championships between Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor was watched by 18.5 million television viewers. In 1978 the BBC decided to cover every day's play in the snooker World Championships. Snooker balls were originally made from ivory. In 1981 and at 18 years of age Jimmy White became the youngest winner of a professional tournament.

The actual size of the cue ball is 2 1/16 inches in diameter. Patsy Fagan's problems with the rest became so acute that he could not push the cue through to strike the cue ball. Alex Higgins became world snooker champion at his first attempt in 1972. He received ï¿½480 for winning the 1972 final, compared to ï¿½25,000 in 1982. Terry Griffiths became world snooker champion at his first attempt when he defeated Dennis Taylor 24 - 16 in 1979. In 1979, Alex Higgins became the first player to record consecutive 130 + breaks in tournament play. John Virgo had to forfeit 2 frames in the 1979 Coral UK final after turning up 30 minutes late for the concluding session. When television coverage of the 1980 World Final was interrupted to show the SAS at the Iranian Embassy, many viewers telephoned demanding that snooker be returned to their screens.

In 1990, Stephen Hendry became the youngest ever World Snooker Champion after defeating Jimmy White 18 - 12. Frank Callan Suite - 282 Ribbleton Lane, Ribbleton, Preston, Lancashire, England - PR1 5EB - tel. + 44 (0) 1772 702211 - info@fcsnooker.co.uk Visit the links below for further information>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BBC iWonder - Why did snooker get its big break in the 80s? BBC iWonder In association with The Rack Pack BBC iPlayer exclusive 1. The Rack Pack In association with The Rack Pack BBC iPlayer exclusive Moustachioed men prowling to and from a table in near total silence. It was an image long associated with snooker, and one the popularity of the sport had suffered from. In the 1980s an exciting renaissance took place. The world of snooker was reinvigorated by the emergence of a series of strong characters, each bringing something unique to the table. 2.

Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins Alex Higgins discusses the change he brought to the world of snooker and what makes him special. Rebel Without A Pause and Harty (both BBC One). The confines of the snooker halls could not contain the raw talent of Alex Higgins. He exploded onto the snooker scene in the 1970s and by the 1980s Higgins’ electric character and mercurial talent had earned him the unofficial title of the People’s Champion. Higgins was born in Belfast in 1949, a world away from the bright lights and media attention that would adorn his later life. He discovered snooker at the age of 11 and spent countless hours practising and making money defeating all who dared to challenge him. He became the youngest World Snooker champion in 1972 and, while success petered out like a quietening storm in the mid-80s, he found consistency in entertaining audiences. Looking almost uneasy with every shot, Higgins stalked the table, twitching involuntarily before firing off one audacious shot after another. Such unpredictability earned him a place in fans’ hearts. 3.

Steve 'The Nugget' Davis A brief look at Steve 'The Nugget' Davis - the Plumstead potting sensation. Fame (BBC Two). The Plumstead potting sensation gave rise to a new type of player: the ice-cold professional. On the surface, he showed no emotion and was deemed to lack personality, but beneath this robotic exterior lay a highly trained and ruthless competitor. As a child, Steve Davis was a keen student of snooker. He quickly developed and adapted the sport’s classic techniques to improve his game and came to the attention of promoter Barry Hearn. Soon he was playing, and winning, challenge matches against top professionals. His first major honour was the UK Championship in 1980 and from here he went on to dominate the sport during the next decade. Despite being viewed as boring, he provided many moments that live on in the history of snooker. He was the first player to record a perfect 147 break on television and, in 1985, he was part of the famous ‘Black Ball Final’ against Dennis Taylor. That thrilling match was watched by 18.5 million viewers. Davis v Taylor: The '85 Black Ball Final 4.

Jimmy 'Whirlwind' White The creation of Jimmy White's early image as his snooker career began to take off. Newsnight (BBC Two). Jimmy White could be seen as the perfect combination of Higgins' dynamism and Davis' efficiency. Largely regarded as the most naturally talented player never to have won a world title, White was a favourite with both fans and fellow professionals. As a youngster, snooker halls provided Jimmy White with refuge from an academic system he had no interest in. In the late 1970s he sharpened his skills on the amateur circuit and in 1979 his reputation grew further when he won the UK Amateur Championships. A year later, he turned professional. Jimmy soon became close friends with Alex Higgins and the similarities were obvious. White had a fluid, fast style similar to Higgins, but produced more consistent performances than the Northern Irishman. In their first meeting in 1982, the 'Whirlwind' took the 'Hurricane' down to the final frame before dramatically losing to the man he considered a hero. Pot Black '83: Jimmy White v Alex Higgins 5.

Barry 'Flash Car' Hearn Barry Hearn explains how he managed the meteoric rise of his biggest star, Steve Davis. Fame (BBC Two). Now regarded as a respected elder statesman of the sports business, Barry Hearn is the definition of the self-made man. His eye for opportunity, business nous and East End charm led him to successfully reinvent the world of snooker. As a young man pursuing a career in accountancy, Hearn made an important investment in property. He bought a snooker hall. In the 1970s David Attenborough, as controller of BBC Two, brought snooker to television, in colour. It was new, and it was soon popular. As audiences grew, Hearn focused on supplying the sudden demand of the droves flocking to watch the sport. As his involvement with snooker increased, he began managing talent he saw both promise and value in. His earliest protege was none other than Steve Davis. Hearn brought showmanship to snooker, touring with his stars and using challenge matches to build hype around his players.

History - WPBSA History History History of Snooker – a Timeline A lot has changed since snooker was first invented back in 1875 by members of the British Army and you can now chart the development of snooker down the years via our unique timeline. You can also read an in-depth history of the game written by leading snooker journalists David Hendon and Hector Nunns, or take a look at the history of the WPBSA . 1875 Snooker was invented by the British Army in the Indian town of Jubbulpore. 1910 The first century breaks were attributed to Scot Tom Aiken, a billiards champion, Cecil Harverson, Phil Morris of Tottenham and Lucania Hall manager George Hargest. 1916 The first English Amateur Snooker Championship was won by Charles Jaques, who entered under the name of “E.A. Jay”, at Orme & Sons Showroom, Soho Square, London on 28th August. 1919 Snooker’s rules, which had featured inconsistencies, were consolidated, including the introduction of the re-spotted black to ensure each frame had a winner.

1927 The World Professional Snooker Championship was held for the first time in at Camkin’s Hall, Birmingham. The tournament was won by Joe Davis, 20-11 against Tom Dennis to earn a first prize of £6 10s. 1946 Joe Davis retires undefeated, having won a record 15 World Championship titles. 1950 Snooker was televised by the BBC for the first time from Leicester Square Hall. 1955 The world’s first officially recognised 147 maximum break was made by Joe Davis. 1963 The World Amateur Snooker Championship was held for the first time in Kolkata, India and won by Welshman Gary Owen. 1969 Snooker was broadcast on colour television for the first time as ‘Pot Black’ was commissioned by then BBC2 controller David Attenborough. 1975 The Masters was held for the first time at the West Centre Hotel in London, won 9-8 by John Spencer against Ray Reardon in the final. 1976 A world ranking list was introduced to snooker for the first time, initially based upon the results of the previous three World Championship tournaments.

1977 The World Championship was held at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield for the first time having been identified as suitable by Carol Watterson, wife of promoter Mike Watterson. The tournament has remained there ever since. 1980 Canada’s Cliff Thorburn became the first overseas player to win the World Snooker Championship, defeating Alex Higgins 18-16. 1981 Steve Davis won the first of his six world titles during the 1980’s as the popularity of snooker broke new ground within the UK. 1982 Steve Davis became the first player to make a 147 break in professional competition during the fifth frame of his match against John Spencer at the Lada Classic. 1985 Dennis Taylor defeated Steve Davis 18-17 on the final black as 18.5m people tuned in to watch snooker’s most famous match. 1988 Jimmy White defeated Steve Davis to win the Canadian Masters, snooker’s first-ever ranking event to be held outside of the UK. 1990 Scotland’s Stephen Hendry became the youngest ever player to win snooker’s World Championship, defeating Jimmy White 18-12.

1997 Ronnie O’Sullivan made the fastest 147 maximum break in professional competition, achieving the feat in just five minutes and 20 seconds against Mick Price at the World Championship in Sheffield. 1998 The World Confederation of Billiard Sports was granted full IOC recognition on 5th February. 1999 Stephen Hendry won a record seventh title at the Crucible Theatre, moving clear of Steve Davis and Ray Reardon on the all-time list. 2000 Welshman Mark Williams became the first left-hander to win the World Snooker Championship, recovering from 13-7 down to defeat countryman Matthew Stevens 18-16. 2001 The History of Snooker - Snooker Canada The History of Snooker The History of Snooker The History of Snooker The game of snooker is a cue sport which emerged in its modern form in the late 19th century, with roots going back to the 16th century form of English billiards. Billiards was popular among the British Armed Forces stationed in India.

As billiards was only a two player game, new games such as life pool and pyramid pool were developed in order to accommodate more players. Eventually, these two games were combined to form snooker. The Beginning Billiards was first played in the 16th century. It was known as a "gentleman's game" because of its popularity among royalty. The tables had no side rails, pockets, or cushions, but only contained holes for the balls to be potted. Every time that a pot was achieved, the ball would fall to the ground. The balls, which were made of ivory, were another difference from modern billiards. In the 19th century, the sport became quite popular among the British Armed Forces stationed in India. Billiards was a two-man game in its original form, which was played with 3 balls, of which two were cue balls, one for each player. This led to the formation of multi-player versions. New versions included life pool and pyramid pool. Life pool involved several colored balls used as both cue balls and object balls. In pyramid pool, there were 15 red balls and a white cue ball, and each player received one point per red ball potted.

Along with the new games being developed, the table was taking steps toward its current state. Black pool was the next version created. Black pool was similar to pyramid pool, except that the black ball from life pool was added to the game and could be potted for more points. In 1875, at the officers' mess in Jabalpur in the Central Provinces, Colonel Sir Neville Francis Fitzgerald Chamberlain suggested adding the other coloured balls to the new version. The game was beginning to resemble snooker in its current form, though the blue and brown balls were added in later years. The name snooker comes from a comment Chamberlain made about a player who missed a shot. He called him "a real snooker", referring to his lack of experience, "snooker" being a slang term for a first year cadet. The first official set of rules for snooker were drafted in 1882 at Ootacamund in Madras Province. When British Billiards Champion John Roberts travelled to India in 1885, he met Chamberlain and decided to introduce snooker to England when he returned home.

The Early Years The first official competitions, the English Amateur Championships, took place in 1916. In 1927, Joe Davis helped to establish the first Professional World Championship of snooker. Joe Davis won and took home the prize of £6.10. At that time, the standard of play was not very high considering that the highest break of that tournament was just 60. By the 1930s, Snooker was becoming one of the most popular cue sports. Joe Davis continued to dominate the era, winning every World Championship until his retirement in 1946. Between 1952 and 1957, a dispute had arisen among the games' governing body, the Control Council, and the Billiards Association. As a result, only two people participated in the official World Championship, although an unofficial one was organized. At the time, the winner of the unofficial tournament was generally considered the best player in the world. During this time frame Horace Lindrum won the official World Championship. Due to a decline in popularity, there were no world championships between 1958 and 1963.

Rise in Popularity In 1969, the BBC launched the Pot Black tournament at the BBC Studios in Birmingham, which proved to be very successful in helping put snooker back into public view. The BBC began broadcasting in colour, and were looking for programmes that could exploit this new technology. The programme first aired on 23 July 1969, on BBC2. Pot Black was a British series of (non-ranking) snooker tournaments televised by BBC, that played a large part in the popularisation of the modern game. In 1972, at the age of 23, Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins clinched the first of his 2 World Titles and through a mixture of bravado, charisma and an ability to make headlines, became the games first true "rock'n'roll superstar" who helped to popularise the sport in the new age of colour television. The event continued until 1986, at which time more and more televised snooker events were held and the Pot Black format was out dated. It returned in 1990, but it was discontinued after the 1993 event.

The event was revived in the form of several one-off tournaments throughout the 1990s and up to 2007. Pot Black helped transform snooker from a minority sport with just a handful of professionals into one of the most popular sports in the United Kingdom. Mark Williams holds the events' highest break record of 119. The World Championship was first televised in 1973. World Rankings were introduced in 1976, and, in 1977, the World Championship was held in the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, where it has been ever since. Daily television coverage of the World Championship began in 1978. The 1980s capitalised on the sport's already growing popularity. Steve Davis dominated for much of the decade thanks to a smooth technique, all-round game, vast amounts of dedication and PR savvy off the table from his ambitious manager Barry Hearn. Maverick left-hander Jimmy White came along as a people's champion candidate very much in the mould of his good friend and idol Alex Higgins.

The number of tournaments on the calendar was to increase further as from the 1984/1985 snooker season ITV started to televise three new ranking events in the International, Classic and British Open. Snooker's finest hour and ultimate peak occurred at the 1985 World Snooker Championship Final as heavy favourite and 8-0 early leader Steve Davis succumbed to an inspired comeback from Northern Ireland veteran Dennis Taylor. The 35th and deciding frame lasted for 68 minutes, and had a nation gripped as Taylor sunk the final black at 12.20am with a record audience of 18.5 million UK TV viewers who tuned in for the nail-biting climax. Though the record viewing figure was never topped, the 1986 World Snooker Championship Final between Steve Davis and Bradford underdog Joe Johnson, in which Johnson surprisingly won 18-12, also drew a strong audience figure of 16 million UK TV viewers.

In the build-up to the 1986 World Championship, infamous novelty anthem "Snooker Loopy", recorded by Chas and Dave featuring the Matchroom Mob (Barry Hearn, Steve Davis, Dennis Taylor, Willie Thorne, Terry Griffiths and Tony Meo), hit number 6 in the UK Singles chart. The domestic success of snooker continued to remain strong into the late 1980s. During this time, with the help of Barry Hearn, tournaments were starting to expand globally into Europe, Asia and North America. The 1988 Canadian Masters was the first ranking event to be staged outside the UK. In December 1988, the invitational Matchplay (featuring the worlds top 12 players) was the first ever professional tournament to have a £100,000 winner's prize. In the late 1980s, Steve Davis' dominance was starting to be challenged by future World Champion Stephen Hendry. By the end of the decade, there were more than 200 playing professionals on the circuit, a figure which increased to more than 400 professionals during the 1990s.

Standards Rise, Popularity Slides A new generation of players came to the fore in the 1990s, most notably Stephen Hendry who went on to dominate for much of the decade. Hendry eclipsed many of Steve Davis' records including most World Championships, most ranking titles and most (BBC) major titles. Hendry's type of attacking, breakbuilding game which often clinched frames in one visit ushered in a new era of player. In 1993, at the age of 17, Ronnie O'Sullivan became the youngest ever winner of a ranking event by beating Hendry himself at the 1993 UK Snooker Championship Final. Though the standard of snooker continued to rapidly increase, the immense popularity that Snooker enjoyed started to wane. ITV stopped screening ranking events after the 1993 British Open and during this period, much attributed to the economic recession, prize money totals started to stagnate or decrease for events outside the World Championship. From the mid-1990s onwards, Snooker still enjoyed decent exposure thanks to BBC continuing to televise the major events and the continuation of tobacco sponsorship.

Due to the increasing restrictions or eventual ban on tobacco advertising in sport, Benson and Hedges last sponsored the invitational Masters in 2003 and Embassy's long-standing association with the World Championship concluded after the 2005 tournament. With cutbacks necessary (due to loss of tobacco funding) and less events, the main tour roster was reduced to 96 professionals for the start of the 2005/2006 season. Afterwards, the number of events on the circuit started to dwindle. However, since the loss of tobacco sponsorship, the online gaming and gambling industry has stepped in to sponsor numerous events on the calendar. The WPBSA chairman Sir Rodney Walker was ousted in a vote of no confidence in December 2009, which cleared the path for the longtime sports promoter Barry Hearn to attempt to revitalise the sport.

Question: Who became the youngest ever 'Amateur World Snooker Champion in 1980?
Answer: Jimmy White